Miller hopes F.I.R.M. helps gets firm grip on athletics

Oliver Miller looks around the city he grew up in and isn’t exactly thrilled with the high school athletic programs.

"Fort Worth ISD needs to do better because there’s too much talent in this city to not care about the programs,’’ Miller said. "We have talent in Fort Worth, but parents these days are taking their kids out of Fort Worth because the Fort Worth ISD doesn’t care.

"I want this to be said.’’

Miller was a stellar basketball player at Fort Worth Southwest High School, where he graduated from in 1988 and ultimately moved on to solid careers at the University of Arkansas, the NBA and various other pro leagues. But he went out of his way to let it be known that he’s not pleased with the state of affairs with the FWISD athletic programs.

Miller said: "When you take our kids to go play schools outside of Fort Worth and they see all of these (attractive) facilities. Really?

"Invest in the kids.’’

Miller, 46, has stepped forward and done something about the void he believes is lacking in the FWISD. Miller and two of his high school friends -- twins Don and David Waters -- united to form an organization named F.I.R.M., which is an acronym for Family of Intelligent Responsible Men.

"My best friends from high school, we always called ourselves (F.I.R.M.), and then when we got in college it took off,’’ Miller said. "We started off playing in all the summer leagues as a F.I.R.M., and then we just started with the AAUs.

"The twins, Don and David Waters, they are more involved right now than I am because I’ve been away, so they go around and they do a lot of motivational speeches. But I’m back in town.’’

Miller, who was inducted in the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor last Friday, said he and the Waters twins just want to make a major difference in their hometown.

"We’re a non-profit organization and we’re just trying to do whatever is possible for these young men,’’ Miller said. "Last year we had a semi-pro team and we won our division and got to the championship and I got Coach of the Year.

"We’ve got too much talent in Fort Worth. That’s why me and my organization, we do AAU for the kids that don’t have a chance to make to the Texas Elite.’’

Miller was a first-round draft pick – No. 22 overall – by the Phoenix Suns in 1992. He wound up playing eight years in the NBA, including the 1996-’97 season with the Dallas Mavericks.

Despite his success in college and the pros, Miller feels its imperative that he invests in his home town.

"You want the kids to do better, invest in them,’’ Miller said. "Make them feel like y’all care.

"Make them want to come to school and learn so they can go to the next level and get off these streets.’’

This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 9:08 PM with the headline "Miller hopes F.I.R.M. helps gets firm grip on athletics."